A thread of my weekly faces.
 

I decided on Saturday that with the opportunity I am going to try to hit at least one of the two portrait studios at the school. I made it to this evenings studio and I am enjoying causing a stir.

I have a jar of Studio Products wax medium. It has a really nifty ability to hold good strong strokes while staying transparent. I can glaze as I go and the multitudes are curious. Apparently I am getting a glow.

This is Athena, she is 16x12. I underpainted a yellow ocher and wiped most of it back. Then painted on top of the light.

I love the colors and the expression!

So, is the idea that you will add a new pic in this thread every week? If so, I look forward to seeing more! Thanks you for sharing.

Dear Debra,

Did you crop it or are you just that driven in composing? Your drive is so inspiring.

Using the wax medium seem like a good idea. I have sometimes used a homemade wax medium that allowed me to paint thickly using both the knife and brush making transparent strokes.
The good thing is that wax is not expected to darken over time and it will prevent the paint to crack too.

Please keep on posting.

Allan

Wow!
 

Oh, wow, Debra! That painting is just beautiful. Wax medium by Studio Products??? I think I'll order some. Do you mix it with your paints as you would Neo Megilp or Maroge?

Carol??? Do I know you? Your avatar looks VERY familiar!

I use one of the sample wax mediums Rob made a few months ago at studio products. I have yet to try to make my own, but having had it quite a while I was amazed to see how it handled! I don't really use it with the knife but I enjoy the thin film it allows me, especially for the 2 hour sessions that I can wipe with a towel in turps gently and let the pure white of the canvas reflect through it. Because it has very little oil, I don't have the butter on butter I get when I keep throwing stuff on from the tube. When I use it opaquely it handles just like my marogers. That is, it gets thin enough to handle but lays on top of the layer below, not sllide or trench it out. Thixotropic I believe it is, that it stays liquid when you need it liquid and stops where you put it.

Allan, um, This is one of my less tight compositions. I was known as the headless... well top of the headless, portrait painters for a while. I was in the last row at the studio and had massive eye strain from a bad night on the internet for this one.

I AM driven. That is not a hard one to answer.

Debra,
This is beautiful. I just love the color and the freshness. I have been enjoying your work immensely.

I am having some political problems with my beloved open studio and as life generally has it, the week after trying to keep my own word to myself and post a live portrait at least one a week, I came home.

With nobody to volunteer and lots of rain outside, I set myself up at my easel and decided one NEVER has to say there were NO live bodies. So this is real time.
It is 7:30. I started with a charcoal tonal sketch, fixed it, shot it. Then worked on my darks or shadows. Shot it.
I am going to work until the model needs a break and will keep posting as I go.

Politics may be nothing compared to actually having to LOOK at myself tonight while I try to paint me!

Here we go:

Suspense was killin' ya, huh?

Well the computer crashed and I couldn't load the first color one, so I worked and ended up with two.

IF I were in studio I would only have half an hour more.
My model is getting grumpy, however.

officially, this is pretty close to three hours, but she is working overtime. I am about to break out my Pre-Raphaelite medium for the gray and see if it is all it is cracked up to be.

I haven't done detail in the eyes so hair and eyes will be all that is left.

Whole thing in flat brushes, 6 and 8 but that is no indication.

okay.
17 x 13 or so.

Yes, the medium helped keep the white clean in the dark, but I will admit I was rushing.

So, here I am as a bad day model. The hair is aways like this.

I am very sad that I have not had a chance to keep up with this. I have two commissions in hand and two pending.

I spent last week and weekend sketching on the edge of an art festival and working on a lovely eternal progress piece for a friend of two little kids, then a watercolor of a car headlight for a show I am going to be in near a race track and finally a dog, as people were walking up to me saying "Too bad you don't do pets"

I will post a little wip and if you beg, I will show you the puppy.

No live people today.

The gentleman is a project to match an older piece that hangs in their home. Have no idea what paper I used and the original is in Spain.

The sketch is for a watercolor. This should be good. I call myself the queen of lousey photos!
I hope to do a Ted Nuttal style, like some I did of my family.

So Monday, in spite of no live people was not a waste. We shall see about Wednesday.

I really like it, Debra. The self-portraits that people have posted here say so much more than their little tiny avatars. I really get a feeling of you; don't think twice about the "bad day."

Finally back
 

I am not taking up a lot of topics so I finally got back into the studio and did Athena again. Not the best hairdo, but I had a great time using only Burnt Umber as my block in, Burnt Sienna, Raw Sienna, Ivory Black and permalba and one flat...I always forget the size, but it was fun.

About 2 hours of painting. Missed the first and last two sessions.

Finally back in harness
 

This was not in open studio, but at a friends. He has had this model and is doing a 15 hour pose. I got in for the third session of three and sort of let go.

I brought a 16x20 scrap of canvas taped to a board and used a scrub in of Studio Products Cobalt Green. Then I wiped out my lights and just went in alla prima. I used SP wax medium when it got too slippery from the turpenoid I used to wipe back.

I like SP Studio solvent at home, but they won't let me out of the house with it. Anyone else find Turpenoid too slippery?

I really look forward to updates in this thread!

What, again, is the time frame in which you paint these? I especially like the one of Athena... you always capture the character of the sitter in these paintings.

Sorry that I am no help with the turpenoid question, just wanted to stop by and let you know that I am watching and admiring!

Very nice, Debra! You capture the likeness and personality so quickly. It's always a treat to see what you are doing.

When I was using Turpenoid I never thought much about whether it was too slippery. Now, following the recommendations of several people on the forum, I use Gamsol and I don't have problems using it to get a likeness in 1-3 hours. I'd be curious to know whether you find Gamsol to be any better.

Alex

It is Pavlovian.

I have been going to the three hour open studio for so many years, my brain does a countdown. I have been, recently due to my little snit, skipping the first 20 minutes and I think the second athena was only 2.5 hours but the time frame is only three hours.

I do think I should try a larger format and work on the boring parts, like the edges some day, but I have always tried to take whatever pose I end up with, do the very best I can with whatever the model is doing and try not to complain outloud. I don't have the opportunity to have my models pay me much, so I am training myself to be a friendly quiet worker giving no guff to the model, ever.

I assume clients want to get their money's worth and not feel tortured. This speed painting thing is a little more of a necessity because I have yet to dump the day job, but it is much easier to slow down, than hurry up!

I did a lot of small commissions in the mean time, the best I feel is the daughter of my cousin. When you are stuck with long distance Christmas presents, photos and studios, the open workshop is such great exercise!

I am hoping Linda will post. We were both in studio this morning...
I am pretty happy with this one. Lots of Studio Products Plein Air medium that makes it look glazed but done in 2.5 hours.

No way am I posting my wretched mess! And we had north light today as well, so I can't even complain about the hot lights.
This is wonderful, Debra, and a lovely likeness. Very big :thumbsup: !

...mmmodesty....
 

[QUOTE=Linda Brandon]No way am I posting my wretched mess! And we had north light today as well, so I can't even complain about the hot lights.

No way, LInda, that your painting could be a "wretched mess!". Your "wretched messes" cannot even come close to what your viewers claim as failed paintings.

Come on, Linda, post. (You can hit me later...)
Carol :o

Debra, I'm really enjoying these. The immediacy and livelyness in each one is impressive. I'm in awe of your speed, too. Janet

Thank you
 

Hi Debra,

I'm enjoying all your paintings and thoughts too! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us. I too am looking forward to your next post.

Joan

Debra, You're amazing! I always go first to your post. They're fresh and real and exactly like the artist I wanta be when I grow up. Thanks for taking the time to post all these. I have a "real job" too and I know time is hard to find... to paint and post too.